The invention relates generally to machine cutting fluid or coolant systems. More specifically, the invention relates to a nozzle assembly that varies the spray patterns of cutting machine coolant nozzles.
Milling and grinding machines need to have coolant directed to specific areas during cutting. Cutting fluid, or coolant, is liquid used to cool and lubricate the cutting edges of machine tools and the pieces they are shaping. It is pumped over the cutting site of machines such as lathes, milling machines, shapers, grinders and saws.
Metal cutting operations generate heat due to friction between a tool and a workpiece. The heat generated is from energy lost deforming the material and needs to be carried away. Water is a conductor of heat but is not stable at high temperatures, so stability is often achieved by making an emulsion of water with oil. The goal is to keep the workpiece at a stable temperature and maximize the life of the cutting tool by lubricating its working edge to reduce tip welding.
To ensure cutting edge cooling, the coolant stream must be aimed at the point where the cutting tool is removing metal. Manual systems require machine operators to constantly adjust the coolant systems to make sure coolant is aimed in the right position to flood the work zone. While coolant lines and nozzles are easy to adjust, having to make adjustments every time a tool change takes place is inefficient. It is also dangerous if an operator reaches into a machine with its spindle turning.
The benefits of keeping coolant on target make substantial contributions to productivity. It minimizes the risk of damaging heat build-up in the workpiece or cutting tool thereby preserving tool life. It allows optimal feed rates and speeds to be applied more safely and flushes away swarfs and chips.
What is desired is an apparatus that can be applied to an existing milling or grinding machine that targets coolant to a best location on a cutting tool in response to a machine program and allows machine operators to leave a machine untended for extended periods.